


Bits and Bobs Here and There

by Jenalop3



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-12-07 07:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 4,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11618916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenalop3/pseuds/Jenalop3
Summary: A collection of prompts and head canons I've collected on my tumblr.





	1. Alone, Finally

The door clicked closed softly, she sagged against it, pale hands running along the whorls of wood grain. She looked exhausted, dark circles under pale eyes, new straw colored hair hanging lank to tickle her nose.

  
Bruce knew he didn’t look much better, he hadn’t shaved in god knows when, and the close crop he sported on Sakaar was starting to grow in unruly curls and cow licks. He needed a shower, stale sweat sticking to his clothes. The past few hours have been the most fantastical and terrible he has seen in all his life. Once that door had closed it had shut out the invasion and war talks and planning and training and scurrying to try their hardest to somehow survive, but here this room was quiet and serene.

  
Natasha sighed a weary breath, pushing her hanging hair behind an ear, “Finally, I got you alone.” Her red lips twitched into that familiar half smirk.

  
Bruce felt his heart jerk in his chest as she pushed herself from the door and wrapped her arms around him, fitting her nose into the spot under his ear. Bruce returned the embrace, grasping her to him tightly taking a step back he fell to the bed dragging her with him with a soft sigh.


	2. Baubles to Crave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "Bauble, Crave" from Feldman or Handypolymath on tumblr

Bruce looked absolutely ridiculous.

  
Large pink hat festooned with gaudy silk flowers sat at a jaunty angle on his head, baubles clipped to his ears and resting near his first knuckles and small delicate white tea cup held daintily in his hands. He sat in a too small chair, with knobby knees at his ears surrounded by Sir Fuzzy and Winston and a panting Lucky, Lila equally dressed to impress poured tea for her guest and chatted about her day at school. Bruce nodded and she chattered, dutifully sipping from his empty cup and taking small bites from the oatmeal cookie on his plate.

  
Natasha felt a sudden bubbly feeling rising up from deep in her chest tickling a small fond grin to form. She craved for these days, bright sunny golden days with the low buzzing of cicadas and the hum of bull frogs from the pond, summer gold grass whispered secrets as it rippled with gentle breeze. She wanted this, maybe not the children, or maybe yes, she couldn’t imagine that far ahead, but a small quaint house that smelled of fresh flowers and blues sky’s and a certain dark haired Doctor to curl up in sheets and enjoy lazy Saturdays in bed.

  
She shook her head. Not yet, but soon. She picked up the plate of sandwiches and the jug of ice tea heading out the screen door calling for Cooper and Nate to join them for lunch.


	3. Too Loud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt fill "Too Loud" and "Tender"

Hulk roared, vicious and loud, from deep deep down rattling widows and sending car alarms to squeal to life. His face contorted into pain and rage a red tinge painting his cheeks and neck. He batted at the air, shaking his great head large hands boxing his own ears.

  
Natasha vaulted over an upturned car, “Easy Big Guy.’ She called forcing her voice to be calm and even.

  
He whipped around to face her eyes huge and watery, he moaned pitifully falling to his rear in the middle of a deserted street.

  
“Too loud.” He said pressing heels of his palms into his ears, the high pitched screeching, that she could just register, echoed off the towering buildings surrounding them in a cocoon of sound that gave her a slight headache but sent Hulk in a pain filled rage.

  
“I know, Tony’s working in it.” She said softly, reaching toward him.

  
He groaned rolling to his side pressing his forehead into the asphalt.

  
Natasha kneeled next to him and tenderly rubbed at the large bulging tense muscles of his neck, gently working her hands lower down his back. Gently she wrapped her hands around his head pulling his giant head into her lap, running her fingers through his thick hair to knead the skin at the base of his neck.

  
“You’ll be alright, I’m here.”

  
He hummed, the sound vibrating through her sternum and rib cage, pressing his forehead into her stomach.


	4. Get a Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt fill "Nap"

Tony was mildly surprised to find the couch already occupied.

  
Bruce and Natasha were curled around each other nestled in the plush cushions, legs tangled. Natasha’s head cradled against the arm of the couch, tilted back with eyes closed. The orange glow of the setting sun fell upon her cheeks and nose. Bruce had his face pressed into the crook of her neck, arms loose around her, one hand sneaking up her shirt to rest against warm pale skin.

  
Tony could hear soft snores rising from somewhere in the pile of limbs.

  
“Oh my god,” he breathed with a fond tweak at the corner of his mustache. “Can’t you two get a room.”

  
A pale delicate middle finger rose from the tangled pile on the couch.

  
“Fuck you Stark.”


	5. Digging the Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little do-dad about the new hair

Natasha reached up and scrubbed her hands fondly through his short salt and pepper hair as he tweaked her straw gold locks.

  
“I like your hair.” They said, giddy stupid grins plastered on their faces. It was so good to see each other again.

  
Bruce leaned close and whispered in her ear. “But I think I prefer red hair.”


	6. Grammy Nat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt fill "Surpise Pregnancy"

“Bruce, can you do me a small favor?”

  
Natasha stood before Bruce with pinched brows and a surprising sedate Liho cradled in her arms. Natasha was the only one who could ever really hold the scarred alley cat, normally the cat would be alert in her arms, large yellow eyes cataloguing her surroundings with precision only comparable to the Black Widow herself. Interestingly now the cat was hanging lethargic from the cradle of Natasha’s arms.

  
“Sure, what do you need?” He placed his book to the side and removed his glasses.

  
She indicates the lazy cat in her arms. “Do you think you can take a look at Liho? She hasn’t been herself recently.”

  
“You know I’m not that kind of Doctor.”

  
She rolled her lips, unwilling to beg but the concern for Liho winning out.

  
“Please Bruce, she doesn’t seem herself, she’s been very lethargic and sleeping more then before.”

  
That sounded like every cat to Bruce, but Natasha looked as scared as he had ever seen her and the pinched sound of her voice and the way she clutched the cat close pulled at his heart strings. And hey, owners know their pets best.

  
“Alright, let’s take her up to the lab and see if we can figure out what’s up.”

  
Immediate relief washed over her carefully restrained face.

  
After a thorough exam, where he checked the cats gums, the dilation of the pupils, and checked the bones by feel. Everything felt normal, as far as Bruce could tell until he came to the stomach. It seemed a little too hard for his liking. He prayed to god it wasn’t a tumor as he carefully anesthetized Liho and set to taking x-rays. He really sincerely hoped it wasn’t a tumor for Natasha’s sake, she was far to attached to that cat.

  
She hovered at his elbow the entire time as he inspected the photos of the cats bloated stomach.

  
“Well Nat, it doesn’t look like a tumor.”

  
She sagged against Bruce, leaning her head against his shoulder.

  
“Though you might want to consider getting a bigger litter box,” she stiffened and Bruce couldn’t keep the amused grin from snaking across his face. “Your going to be a grandma.” He said pointing out the teeny tiny little skulls and spines curled around each other.

  
A very un-widow like squeal erupted in his ear as she threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss to his cheek.


	7. It's Good to be Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt fill "Brutasha and Barton farm cuddles! "

They were bruised and battered, taped and stitched up, there was much to talk about and even more to process, but they were alive and together and at this moment that’s all that mattered.

  
It had been just shy of three years since Natasha had laid eyes on Bruce, but God almighty he still smelt the same. She hummed happily curling tighter around him nose deep in his curls. There were differences of course, his lack of “we” or “Him” when talking about the Hulk, his back seemed straighter, and he didn’t hide as he did before. The snark and sarcasm were all still there, his thorny wall still standing firm, and she was grateful for that. She didn’t think she would be as ok as she was if Bruce had returned from space a completely different person.

  
But he didn’t, he was Bruce, unassuming average looking Bruce who was far from average. The Hulk had been different, Bruce was more apparent in the giant green behemoth, he was less a mindless rage beast and more calm and sophisticated. Well, as sophisticated as the Hulk ever could be.  
The world had been ravaged, but somehow, by the grace of every god on Asgard and beyond earth had pulled through. Quite honestly, Natasha was quite surprised to be still breathing, and if it wasn’t for the dull throbbing of broken ribs and stapled lacerations, she could have, mistaken the quiet of the Barton’s guest room as Heaven. Or that could have been those absolutely fabulous pain pills Helen had forced down her throat.

  
They were aces.

  
“Then I flew a spaceship.” Bruce’s voice was gravely and husky from where he murmured his tale into the soft skin of her clavicle. His fingers drew idle patterns under her old t-shirt, carefully avoiding bandaged injuries. “I crashed it almost immediately, but I still flew it.”

  
“Lucky bum.”

  
The more they laid on cool sheets and cushioned by downey pillows, the more she thought she could do this. She could hang up the cape and go civilian, retire like Clint and allow the younger generation to pick up the mantel and continue her work. She deserved it, they all did quite actually, some of her friends could do it but others like Rogers and Stark couldn’t. But she thought she could, especially if Bruce was there.

  
“Apparently I was also Champion in the Grandmaster’s Games.”

  
“Grandmaster’s Games?” She asked brushing the hair for his forehead, fascinated by the texture and how the greying hair fell back in place.

  
“Gladiator style fights. Thor says he was the only one to beat me.”

  
She place a kiss on his craggy brow. “Thor’s full of shit.”


	8. Midnight Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another prompt "midnight kisses"

Bruce awoke with a cold start, shooting up and panting.

 

The dream felt so real that for a moment longer than what he would have liked it was still true. He was captured, weather in his own mind or a cell it didn’t matter. He had raged and destroyed and killed. He was on the run again sneaking through country after country keeping a desperate low profile, praying to whatever gods would listen to let him go unnoticed and to help him keep the monster at bay.

  
He was still there, the age old panic rising up in his chest, not allowing him to notice the soft sheets and plush bed, the familiar comforting dark of his bedroom, or of the figure curled next to him. Instead his mind was running wild, running through what he should do, where he could go and hide, his chances of escape without causing damage, never mind the beast that lived between his ears wasn’t roaring in rage thirsty for blood and retribution and more blinking in confusion to being awoke to a rush of fear and adrenaline when it knew all was well.

  
He was about to throw the sheets from his legs when her soft and soothing voice reached his ears.

  
“You ok?” Natasha’s voice was thick and hoarse from sleep, but her hands were warm and sure as they ran up his arm and into his hair, her nails gently scratching the sensitive skin of his scalp.

  
The dream was swept away like mist in the sunshine. He sagged against her taking in her scent, how she felt, the sound of her steady heart and calm breathing.

  
“I’m ok.” He whispered into her neck, gooseflesh waxing under his lips.

  
“Good.” She tilted his chin and pressed a kiss to his lips, drawing him back down into the safe cocoon of their bed.


	9. The Good Stuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt "get over here and cuddle me"

“C’mere and cuddle me.” She said, voice slurred with the cocktail of drugs dripping into the back of her hand.

  
Natasha looked the most vulnerable he had ever seen her, riding high on the best pain medication money could buy, stuffed into a hospital bed with a collar smashing her cheeks and her leg held high. Bruce knew she could lay him out flat if she wanted to, but still Clint’s snickering and her grabby hands were enough to dash most of his worries.

  
He carefully avoided her leg, with its pins and wrappings, a fell into her curling close and glad to have her in his arms.


	10. I'll Avenge You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt fill "protective Nat"

They should never allow themselves to become compliant.

It’s what she was taught in the Red Room and it was what SHIELD drove into their skull day in, day out.

It’s what kept him alive all those years on the run.

And yet somehow that most sacred tenet that had kept so many alive for so many years they had forgot.

And look where it had got them.

It had started out like most anything else they were called in to deal with. Maria Hill had relayed information on a possible Hydra lab from a certain One Eyed informant. Considering the source and some promising data retrieved by a few drones Stark had been fiddling around with, they had gone out guns blazing hoping against hope that perhaps this would be the last.

As it was with the Avengers, nothing was ever that easy.

Everything seemed to go down from the get go. As it turned out it, Mandroids were the order of the day. Heavy armored Hydra agents decked out with more firepower than the American army could ever dream of. The small silver lining being that the Mandroids were heavy and clunky and no match for the maneuverability of Iron Man or Thor in the air.

“Son of a bitch greedy cocksucker!” Tony raged over the com link in Natasha’s ear.

She winced, the squealing quality of his voice tickled her inner ear, she dodged just in time as a tree exploded where she was once standing.

“What are you bitching about, Stark?” Natasha asked, digging a finger into her ear as she ran for cover.

“Don’t those things look a little familiar, Red?” He was right, she should have noticed it earlier.

“Hammerbots?”

“A few tweaks, but yeah same damn things.” Tony rocketed over head a pack of Mandroids hot on his heels.

“What are Hammerbots?” Steve’s tinny voice crackled to life, the was a faint thump and crash on his end.

“Sonofabitch Justin Hemorrhoid’s shitty knock off Iron Man suits. I dunno he wanted to be my competition or be me, fuck if I know. He is an anal wart who’s supposed to be rotting in prison, not selling second grade tech to who ever is stupid enough not to look under the hood.”

“You really are taking this personally.”

Tony’s response was drowned out by a sudden strike of Thor’s lightening.

Natasha tuned out the comm links as Clint started to take a perverse pleasure in egging Tony on. She needed to pay attention, the Hammerbots had been tough, but these Mandroids where being piloted by professionals and were clearly looking for blood.

With a flick of her wrist she with drew her electrified baton and staying crouched she creeped through undergrowth coming around to a Droids back side. Waiting until the Droid dropped his guard, she rushed from her hiding space and launched herself on to his back. Immediately the Mandroid started flailing and bucking, bullets flying and clawed gauntlets grabbing for her, but she ducked expertly and jammed the tip of her baton into the tiny crack between the helmet and gorget frying the circuits and leaving the pilot trapped.

She slid from the Mandroids back with a sigh and for a moment she thought she could catch her breath, but a rush of jet fuel from above had her gunning for some kind of cover, dodging bullets and energy grenades. They were herding her, she had no doubt about that, and what waited at the end of the line wouldn’t be pretty for her. The boys where busy with their own Mandroid problems, but perhaps one teammate might be able to give her a big green hand.

With a devilish little smirk she took a hard right heading for the echoing growls and crashes.

Hulk was upon her pursuers before she even saw him, barreling from the sky bodily falling upon his enemies like an avenging comet, the ground quaking when he landed throwing Mandroids far and wide in his wake.

“Thanks for the back up Big Guy.” Natasha craned her neck flashing him a wild grin. “You mind watching my back while I reload?”

He growled, crouching over her closing her in the safety of the cage of his thick arms. She could just make out the feral grin, too much teeth and hardened jaw, from where she kneeled reloading her twin glocks and placing fresh cartridges in her gauntlets and her remaining baton.

The Mandroids had wisely fallen back with the appearance of the Hulk. While the Mandroids where a great improvement to the original Hammerbots and even more dangerous than Vanko’s upgraded versions they were of no real threat to the Hulk. His strength far out powered their own, their ammunition had no chance of piercing his thick hide, and the energy grenades only pissed him off. The only thing they had on him where numbers and even that wasn’t much. Here in the protective cage of his arms, with the scent of old leather, pine, and the overwhelming ozone of gamma, she was safe to catch her breath.

“Hulk protect little Widow.” He growled low in his throat, an impish little grin twisted at his lips. “Little Widow can’t handle metal men.”

She couldn’t help the warm chuckle that bubbled up from deep in her chest. “You save my bacon once and you get cocky.”

He knocked his elbow gently into her shoulder.”Hulk save little Widow’s bacon many times, Hulk thinks little Widow is losing it.”

“Oh I’m not losing anything Big Guy, I just know I have a big green fella who’s strong and likes to smash.”  
He reared back beating a fist to his chest. “Hulk smash! Hulk strongest there is!”

Their surprisingly easy banter was cut short as a single Mandroid fell from the sky. This one, unlike his fellows came packing with an extra large gun slung on his shoulder aiming the barrel strait at Hulk. Hulk raises from his crouch with a cocky grin and cracking his knuckles, a “here watch this” look in his dark eyes.

Turning his focus back to the lurking Mandroid, he sucked in a breath his chest expanding wide ready to unleash a monstrous roar. His mouth had open wide when the Mandroid aimed and shot, the round leaving the barrel with a hollow “fwoom”.

Hulk gagged and stuffed a finger into his mouth fishing out a empty red feathered dart.

He gagged again and stumbled to his knees, the Mandroid’s cry of triumph was muffled behind his helmet.

Natasha jumped to her feat, gauntlets aimed directly at the Mandroid unleashing volley after volley of sparking jumping widow bites. The Mandroid screamed jolting and convulsing with each hit, but Natasha had no sympathy for him as Hulk keeled over moaning. Hulk was invincible and no single dart was going to take him out, not on her watch.

She unloaded both gauntlets into the Mandroid, the haul smoking and left the pilot groaning. With little remorse she leapt and balanced on the droids breastplate viciously popping open the helmet like a sardine can. Inside the pilot was sweaty and punch drunk floating on the edge of unconsciousness, Natasha grabbed his chin reeled back and slugged him right in the nose.

She pulled back and hit again, splitting his lip.

She hit again.

And again.

And again.

“Natasha, that’s enough.”

The soft hoarse voice was enough to still her hand clearing the vengeance from her blood.

She fell from the Mandroid, leaving him to wheeze through his busted nose and chipped teeth. Hulk had shrunk back to small pale Bruce who had wedged himself up on his elbow. His face was sallow and he was sweaty, covered in dirt and leaves, but he was awake and conscious reaching out for her.

She was immediately at his side growling into her comm link for back up. Gently she held him to herself pulling a limb around her shoulder.

“Your going to be ok.” She whispered, gritting her teeth as she helped Bruce along.

“Probably,” His voice was breathy as his head lolled against her shoulder. “Thanks for being my Knight in Shining Armor.”

“Always, Doc.” She pulled him closer in an awkward half embrace.

 


	11. Holy Hell Charlotte!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a few spiders loose in the Avenger’s Facility that might have spent a little too much time in the labs.

She was tired, sore and smelled like a mix of pond water and musty hay. Her hair was stringy with mud and sweat and grit blackened her nails. Natasha looked like something the cat had dragged in.

Steve was not in the most glorious of moods this morning, two super scientist and one pint sized entomology fan were absent from the early training session. He took out his frustrations on the field, pushing himself -and subsequently the rest of the team- to the limit. She would smack around the three truants later, right now all she wanted was nothing more than to wash the muck and mire from every crook and carney of her body, then fall into bed and burrow in the soft lopsided blanket Lila Barton had clumsily knitted for her.

As she passed through the communal kitchen and lounge, the thought of left over pasta enticed her enough that she slowed and debated whether she wanted to put effort into microwaving it, eat it cold or just take a pass before a strange sight had her double taking.

She furrowed her brows and cocked her head as Bruce crawled between love-seats and thick cushy chair-and-a-halves with his ass in the air and a rolling pin in hand. Curiously, Natasha tip toed over, craning her neck to get a better look at the seven time Doctor. The side of his face was pressed to the dove gray area rug and peering intently into the dark under the gray sofa. He was muttering to himself, swiping the rolling pin back and forth.

“Whatcha lose, Doc?” 

He startled, swearing as the sofa jumped under her elbows. Bruce peered over the lip of the cushions, much like an irritated prairie dog, scrubbing at the back of his head as he slumped back on his rear.

She heard a far away tiny voice, speaking quickly in squeaks and squawks. He dug a finger into his ear, a comm link? Why was he wearing a comm? Her brow furrowed further. Was the frantic string of faint chatter Tony?

“Nothing.” He sounded irritable, talking more to the person in his ear than to her.

Tony definitely was on the other end then. 

“Hardly looks like nothing.” She juts her chin in his direction. “What's got Tony’s iron undies in a bunch?”

The faint screeching rose to a frantic octave. Bruce held up a finger, turned away and ducked his head, pressing a finger into his ear and speaking in a low voice.

“Shut up, it’s not Steve. Just Nat. Calm down. Yes, I'm still looking. No. Tony…Ton-Tony stop for a moment. In the common room. If you don't calm down I'm not talking to you anymore. Ok, just… ok, find Scott then.” 

Bruce sighed as the faint squalling faded rolling his attention back to Natasha, “He’s going to give me a serious case of tinnitus.”

Natasha snorted on a short laugh. “You sure you boys are up to nothing. Steve is pissed you skipped this morning.”

He winced, spreading his hands and sucking a breath through his teeth. “Sorry, we had a bit of lab accident, nothing too crazy.” He said with as carefully as he could.

Her brows raised, mind immediately sashaying down the malfunctioning misplaced blasters, radiation monsters, and roombas throwing temper tantrum road. Bruce seemed to sense where she was going and stopped her in her path. 

“Nothing dangerous.”

She pinned him with a hard look. 

“Too dangerous,” he amended “We had a few jumping spiders escape.”

“What?” That wasn’t exactly what she was expecting.

“Jumping spiders, the cute little fuzzy ones that like to hide.”

“I know what a jumping spider is,” she waved him off. “Just why would you be looking for some tiny little harmless spiders armed with a rolling pin.”

A look of guilt seemed to flood Bruce’s face as he glanced down to the rolling pin in hand. As he opened his mouth to speak, Scott ran through the room a quiet mantra of “Oh shit.” followed him as he held a large pillow case held at arms length. A few of his ant’s -blown up to the size of Labradors- danced excitedly about his legs, clicking mandibles and waving antennae.

“I got one Doc!” He crowed, chest heaving, sucking in rapid breaths, holding up the pillow case in triumph.

It jerked violently in his hands, swinging and jumping, Scott's knuckles turned white as he struggled to maintain his hold. Horrific clicks came from within the bag, black claws the size of Natasha's forefinger poked and slashed through the pastel flower pattern.

“Shit! Gotta go!” He cried and picked up his pace. “Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” Scott's voice faded as he took off toward the labs, his ant’s: Anthony 12, Anthony 34, and Sluggo 5 ran after him their claws clicking on the hardwood.

Slowly Natasha’s gaze came back to rest on Bruce, who was frozen with his mouth agape.

“How big.” She asked calmly.

“Not, that big.” He said carefully.

“How exactly big is ‘not that big’.” 

“About cat big.”

“A tiny cat?”

“Mmmmain coon-ish.” Bruce said, drawing out the word.

A soft Russian swear ghosted on her breath, looking to the heavens begging for patients. She rounded the sofa and knelt down beside Bruce, pulling a practice baton from it's holster at her hip. It lit up with a weak blue charge and was thrust under the sofa’s skirt. They saw nothing but dust bunnies and lost change.

“ You don’t have to help.” Bruce said softly, pocketing the change. 

She shrugged, crawling to the love-seat. “I know, I'm only doing it because your cute.” She didn't need to turn to know that he’s blushing. “And if Steve finds one of those monstrosities our lives will be a living hell.”


End file.
